D-beta-hydroxybutyrate is neuroprotective against hypoxia in serum-free hippocampal primary cultures

Hypoxia decreased survival of cultured rat primary hippocampal neurons in a time dependent manner. Addition of 4 mM Na D-beta-hydroxybutyrate (bHB), a ketone body, protected the cells for 2 hr and maintained the increase in survival compared to that of controls for up to 6 hr. Trypan blue exclusion indicated that acute cell death was reduced markedly after 2-hr exposure to hypoxia in the bHB-treated group. The presence of bHB also decreased the number of neurons exhibiting condensed nuclei visualized by propidium iodide, indicative of apoptosis. The mitochondrial transmembrane potential (Em/c) was maintained for up to 2 hr exposure to hypoxia in the bHB-treated group, whereas the potential in the control group was decreased. Furthermore, cytochrome C release, caspase-3 activation, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage were decreased in the bHB-treated group for the first 2 hr of exposure. These findings indicate that ketone bodies may be a candidate for widening the therapeutic window before thrombolytic therapy and at the same time decreasing apoptotic damage in the ischemic penumbra.